Rivers is accused of fatally shooting and stabbing a woman and her wife and fatally shooting one of the women's 19-year-old son before setting fire to the family's Oakland home in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The Mercury News reports (http://bayareane.ws/2eGtYJN ) that 61-year-old Dana Rivers had her first court appearance Tuesday on special circumstance murder charges in the deaths of 57-year-old Patricia Wright, 56-year-old Charlotte Reed and 19-year-old Benny Diambu-Wright.

Police say Rivers was covered in blood and about to flee on Reed's motorcycle when she was arrested Friday. Officials say Rivers had tried to set the house on fire, but the blaze was confined to the house's garage and quickly controlled.

Authorities have not released a motive but say it might have been a dispute over property.

The victims, Patricia Wright, 57, Charlotte Reed, 56 and Wright's 19-year-old son all lived in the home. Police believe after Rivers killed the victims, she set fire to the house to hide the evidence.